


Nothing More Than Us

by Vidjauser



Category: A Plague Tale: Innocence (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awkward Crush, Betrayal, Brother-Sister Relationships, Character Death, Crushes, Death, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, English, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Issues, First Crush, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, French, Friendship, Humor, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Inquisition, Kind of Slowburn, Lesbians, Love, Medieval, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Mysterious, Mystery, Original Character(s), Orphans, POV Original Character, Romance, Sarcasm, Twins, War, friends - Freeform, romantic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:41:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22994116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vidjauser/pseuds/Vidjauser
Summary: Being the daughter of an Englishman and a Frenchwoman wasn’t easy: especially in the midst of war. Denice, whose father is a soldier in the Inquisition, is forced to grow up when her mother dies mysteriously in the night. Nearly sacrificed by the soldiers who protected her in return for quickly diminishing supplies, she is saved by orphans around her age and realizes they are the true meaning of family. When that family is threatened, the best she can do is watch.
Relationships: Arthur (A Plague Tale: Innocence) & Original Character(s), Melie/Amicia de Rune
Comments: 5
Kudos: 21





	1. Meet Me Disastrously

**Author's Note:**

> Heyo! I recently played A Plague Tale after having bought a game pass on my Xbox for my birthday. I binged the game in TWO days and loved it. There isn't much content out there for this fandom, so I had to create some more. If any of you happen to be a roleplayer and would be interested in Roleplaying this amazing game... Please do let me know. Hope you enjoy my original character story.
> 
> In case you're not interested in original characters, please do still stick around. c: I plan on writing some one-shots with only the canon characters soon.

She had to be brave. For her father fighting in the Inquisition, for her mother who had gone missing, and more importantly for herself; because she was alone and afraid of all the things that had been placed on her shoulders. At least she had some sort of solace of where her father was—often, other Inquisition soldiers stopped by and demanded supplies on the behalf of her father, saying that their family owed it to them. Their small house was in the middle of a French forest, which now was their territory. The only reason that had been spared from any sort of violence was because of her father’s position and that they could provide the soldiers with anything they wanted at any given time, but that was changing and rapidly. When her mother was around, it wasn’t as scary when the towering soldiers burst through the door, but now her mother was gone. She disappeared one dark night a week ago today, and now the young girl was stuck doing all the chores that her mother did for the soldiers, even if she had never been taught how to do it. 

Denice had to learn all on her own, which brought constant stress. She could not bring herself to eat, so she slipped the soldiers a bit extra. It still wasn’t enough, however. 

Quickly, the girl checked the house for the supplies she needed that day. For a while now, she believed that she was running low on a bit of everything: all the alcohol, vegetables… they had not been able to restock for a while. She did not know how the soldiers would react. Would they be mad? Or even worse? She grabbed what she thought would be worth it from her shelves and stuck them into a crate. It was a lot for a fifteen-year-old to do, but she knew that her mother would want her to continue helping her father. Her mother wanted to help her English husband, even if it meant neglecting her own daughter, who did not have much already. Nobody liked the girl with both French and English blood in them, which meant she did not have many friends due to her parent’s choices. When the soldiers came the first time, demanding that her mother provide food from the garden: the woman did not even hesitate. 

“It’s not even enough for Winter,” Denice sighed as she wrapped the last of the vegetables in a cloth and placed them in the crate. It was a big decision, but the last of the food either went into her pot for tonight’s dinner or in the crate.

Another thought ran through the girl’s mind. Maybe her mother was just out to buy more food from the village? It was a day or two journey there and back. She just thought that her mother would tell her before she did such a thing. Everything was unclear for her.

Denice wanted to go check the garden for the possibilities that there were a few crops still coming in from the recent harvest, but she doubted it. Plus, the other day shortly after her mother had disappeared, she had heard weird noises and believed it to be some sort of animal. Maybe some sort of predator that Denice did not have the courage to go out and face. However, the past few nights had been calm… she could go out and check if she really wanted, but she would be the busiest. 

Placing the last turnip in the crate delicately she released a long sigh before sitting down at the dining table. This was probably how her mother felt… constantly tired and worn out. Thinking about it, Denice did not think she ever saw her mother sit down or rest, even at bedtime: before and after they began to help the soldiers. 

A knock came to the door. Denice froze. Was it the inquisition? They must be there for the supplies…

Sucking in her breath, she stood and smoothed out her dirty dress. She would probably look like some sort of poor heathen to the man. She did not have enough water for a bath. Just enough to drink off of. Taking a quick glance around the one-room home of hers, she rushed to the door and answered it. Yet, it was not who the teen expected to see at the door. 

It was another young woman. A teen around her age with brown locks tied together by a dirty pink ribbon that twirled down into a long braid. She donned leather, but what on earth was she? 

“Please, let us in! It’s dark outside,” she spoke and basically jumped at Denice, leaving Denice to glance over at the night sky glittered with the prettiest stars. Two other figures came out of the dark of the house who also looked of her age. There was a male and female with red hair that poked out from underneath thief-like hoods. Denice was suddenly worried about her own safety. Despite being young, they appeared like the bunch her mother warned her to avoid… Was she about to be robbed?

“Wha—Wait, no. I can’t let you in,” she said and tried to step away from the girl, placing her hands on the door to close it. Her heart was racing. 

“No, please,” the brunette begged, placing her foot between the door and the frame to stop her. She thrust it open and came close to Denice’s face. “It’s between life and death. We promise not to be a bother for you and your family—”

The female redhead pushed the brunette aside and glared at Denice. “The rats are after us, so let us in right now.” The rats? Were they insane? That was their excuse. “We’re coming in.” She pushed the door open more, forcing the troubled teen to step backward, letting it happen. Denice stepped away from the door as the male closed it, and backed away until her behind touched the table. 

“Fine then. But don’t make a mess…”

The redheaded girl looked around with eyes that Denice did not trust. “Not much around to make a mess with.”

“Nevermind that.” Denice shook her head and looked to the brunette. She looked different from the others; the clothing set her apart and made her look more like a traveler rather than a thief like the other two. “Wh...Who are you?” she asked, her voice cracking as she attempted to not make herself sound weak and vulnerable. The brunette smiled—a genuine smile that Denice did not expect to see. 

“My name is Amicia, and these are my friends: Mélie and Arthur. You just saved our lives…” She stepped forward, not noticing how Denice stepped back, not wanting her personal space to be invaded. Amicia took her shoulders, then met eye level. “We need to keep these lights on.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“The rats. They won’t come near us if we keep the lights on.”

Again, there were the rats. What the hell were they and why were they so important? Denice furrowed her brows. Have they gone mad? “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What rats? Rats are everywhere, even under my be—” 

Amicia shook her head, making dramatic gestures with her hands before throwing them on Denice’s shoulders. “Not any ordinary rats.”

“Yeah, they’ll eat you alive.” Mélie was crossing her arms when Denice looked to her with a mix of a confused and scared expression. “Where have you been this entire time?”

“I hardly leave the house—”

“Why?”

Denice thought for a moment. These people really did not know who she was. It felt… weird, but a nice feeling knowing that they weren’t giving her the normal repulsed expression she was so used to. Shaking her head, she looked to the ground. “Mother was just not keen on it, so I obeyed her.”

“Is your mother here?” Amicia asked, taking a look around the small house as though she had never seen one before. “May we speak to her about staying the night?”

“Yeah, then it’ll be just like a sleepover,” Mélie said sarcastically.

Arthur elbowed her side. “Not now, Mélie.”

“I… Mother is not here right now. She left a few days ago. It’s just me.” 

Amicia looked to her pleadingly, seeing her as their only hope now. “Please, then you must let us stay here for the night.”

“I don’t know about that.” Denice was about to nod her head but hesitated as she thought of her responsibility of the night. She could tell that the others were French. The Inquisition army would not be happy and would think of her as a traitor. The last thing she needed was a sword across her throat. Amicia grimaced, half-expecting for the woman to deny her according to how long they were waiting to hear back from the girl. Denice placed her hands on the girl’s forearms almost as if to prepare her for what she was about to say. “I… I would love to, but I have to do something for my mother tonight. She will have business partners over, and I do not think she would want others to be here during the trade.”

Mélie was having none of this.

Had it been a calmer situation, maybe she would have reacted differently. If her brother and her friend had not been involved, then she would have taken the news differently.

She stepped forward, basically ready to fight Denice. “I don’t give a fucking damn. You’re going to let us stay. I’m not repeating myself, but this is a life and death situation and so help me, if someone I love dies because of you, I will fucking burn you.”

Denice was taken back, her skin going pale.

“Sister, maybe you could have… Not said it like that.” Arthur kept Mélie back, knowing her hot-headed temper matched her hair color. 

“Okay…” Denice nodded her head, afraid to say no beyond this point. Amicia smiled, and Arthur nodded his head gratefully… Mélie remained unphased. “But you must hide and be quiet when I say so. Hide under the beds when you hear a knock on the door. Understand?”

The three nodded, Amicia placing a hand over her heart. “Thank you so much. We promise to be good.”

“Good enough,” Mélie said and once again, began to observe the place suspiciously. Denice almost did not want to take her eyes off of her. Despite the mini blow-up, she was sure the girl was different than the way she was acting. Then again, she did not know. She did not know any of these teens. She turned away from them. 

“I have to get things ready, but please make yourself at home.”

Amicia allowed her shoulders to drop since such a big stress was lifted off her chest, allowing her to breathe. They would have a home for the night, and that was all she cared for. She would live until tomorrow to see her brother once again. “Thank you,” she nodded her head at Denice and took  Mélie ’s and Arthur’s arms, leading them away from Denice’s ear. 

“ Mélie ,” she said, almost scolding-like, “You didn’t have to be so harsh.”

Mélie shook her head. She would not apologize for her behavior. “She made me mad, Amicia.”

“I know, but we have to respect her. This is her house.”

Mélie looked at her brother’s face. 

Arthur nodded. “Amicia is right.”

Mélie  groaned and turned, sitting on the bed. It wasn’t comfortable but at least it was not the bed cloth she was used to sleeping on the past few weeks. “Well, she doesn’t have to act so oblivious. Doesn’t she notice the damn rats everywhere?”

Amicia shrugged. “I don’t know.” She looked up and observed the young woman and wondered to herself the same thing. She looked stressed enough that she probably did not notice, or it was true that she hardly left the house though it seemed odd that she would not. “She looks so young, almost our age. I wonder where her parents are.”

Mélie  waved her hand sarcastically. “Maybe you should go ask her.”

Amicia opened her mouth but it was interrupted when there was a knock at the door, sounding more desperate and harsh than they had been a couple of minutes ago.  _ Bang. Bang. Bang.  _ Her eyes switched to Denice and she could see the fear trembling down her body. Denice motioned for them to get under the bed and rushed to the table, taking the crate on it. While the three scrambled to hide underneath the bed, Denice struggled to lift the crate without wobbling off to the sides. Another aggressive knock came to the door. 

“Open the damn door!”

“Who is that?” Amicia whispered to her friends. The trio were squished together, Arthur and Mélie basically on top of Amicia so they could fit. 

“Come in!” Denice answered, feeling pressure build up in her nerves. 

The door slammed open, revealing the expected Inquisition soldier: his sword shined red almost menacingly against the fiery lantern he held in his other hand. The harshness of the door slamming against the wall nearly knocked the crate of food out of her arms; she flinched and stepped back enough that the soldier had to come close to tower over her. She smelled his horrid breath and hunched back to get away from it as though it were some poison. 

Amicia nearly gasped,  Mélie  covering her mouth as she leaned against her protectively. “Don’t say a word, Amicia.”

“Here… I… I have the food,” Denice allowed her knees to wobble and knock against each other in fear. The soldier looked down at her, and she could tell already that he was not happy with her. He stepped forward, a hand raising, and she already knew what would happen to her. “No, please—” she begged. Her body wanted to collapse right then and there, even before the punishment she knew that he would give her for failing both him and the Inquisition.

“Where is the rest of it?” he demanded. His eyes darted over to the caldron then back to her, “Oh, are you stealin’ from us?”

“N-No…” She shook her head and fast, “Please, sir, but we have to eat too. The food is ours.” 

Bad choice of wording. He stepped over, hovering and pushing her body closer and closer to the table, smashing her between it and the crate she held. “It's ours!” he snapped, “We claimed it all, and you know it. You were fucking there when your mother handed it all over to us.”

“But we need to eat too—” 

“After you give us all the supplies.” He turned away and approached the pot of stew she would have hoped to eat that night. He took a spoon and sipped at it. For a moment, she could not read his emotions. He looked at her. “We are taking this as compensation for your mother’s failure. Where is your mother? We want to speak to her.”

By then, a couple more soldiers began to barrel into the room, and it was as though she had forgotten everything about herself: forgetting where her mother was, and the other people in the house currently in hiding.

“She’s going to get us killed,” Mélie mumbled, watching the scene. Amicia could feel the other girl’s heartbeat even if the twin tried to stay calm. 

“Be calm, Mélie,” she reassured her.

“And quiet,” Arthur added. 

Denice came to her senses. “Mother… She has been missing for a week now,” she admitted to the soldiers. She wanted to lower her head, to avoid any eye contact with them, but their fury kept her grounded into their stare. 

“Then you and your family are no longer of use to us. Help me take this pot and dispose of her,” he ordered the other two soldiers and immediately they listened. One marched over and helped the man lift the pot of food out of the door. The third eyeballed her up and down. 

“We are going to have some fun.”

“No, please—”

Before she could finish, the soldier slapped her, twisting her body around. She dropped the crate and fell to the ground, breaking and scattering the foods all over the ground. Her body was limp as he leaned down next to her and grabbed her hair, pulling it out of her bun as he yanked it up. “You think you will scam us? Then, you’re terribly mistaken, my whore. We had a deal, and you broke it. Now you will pay the consequences.”

Just barely awake, she begged with tears stinging her eyes worse than the mark across her cheek. “Please… I tried.”

Lifting her head, he slammed her back down to the ground, knocking her out while busting her nose open and possibly breaking it. She went still, her limbs hitting the ground.

Amicia watched in horror, unable to take her eyes off the girl. What a horrible scene they were witnessing, and unable to defend in risk of getting caught. The girl who had kindly had let them in must have been forced by the Inquisition to provide for them (and what was an agreement made by her mother), and now that they were not getting what they wanted…She did not know what to do. What could they even do?

“How could they do such a cruel thing to an innocent girl…” she whispered.

Mélie  looked at her. “Are you serious? They’ve been chasing us… They’ll do anything to get what they want, Amicia…”

“You’re right…” she watched, even more terrified as the soldier groaned. He kicked the girl’s body before picking her up, slinging her over his shoulder. “Wait, where is he taking her?”

“Shh, Amicia…”

But Amicia didn’t like the sight. It didn’t settle in her stomach well.

“But we have to do something.”

“We don’t have to do anything.”

The soldier lifted the girl, grabbing one of the turnips as he did so. He took a large chunk out of it with his teeth but immediately gagged. “Ugh, they taste like shit… I bet you won’t when the rats get ahold of you and tear you limb from limb. They’ll like your meat well,” he commented with a demented laugh, knowing she would not hear, before stepping out of the house.

Not long after, Amicia was already slipping out from under the bed;  Mélie  cursed and tried to pull her back under by her undershirt. It wasn’t exactly safe to come out at the moment. They didn’t know if there were any more soldiers… But Amicia was persistent and escaped the other female’s grip, nestling herself right at the edge of the door to look out of it.  Mélie  resisted the urge to slam her fist down on the ground in risk of making more noise. Sometimes she wondered if Amicia cared for others too much. She clambered her way out, untangling herself from her brother before she ran to the middle of the room toward her friend.

“Shit…! Amicia, get back here before we get caught. They’ll be back for the food any minute now.”

“If you two don’t get back under the bed, then we’re going to be their dinner,” Arthur said, angry but a lot calmer sounding than his sister. He stuck his head out and watched the other two. What in the world was running through their head?

“But we have to do something,” Amicia says, “She’s innocent, an—” 

Mélie stormed forward, grabbing Amicia’s hand to pull her back. 

“She was feeding the damn Inquisition, how good could she be?”

Amicia pulled her hand back and used it to lean against the door frame. Only half of her was listening to the other as another and even bigger half of her was both watching and listening for any incoming soldiers. 

“For all we know, she was forced to. The man didn’t exactly seem welcoming.” Amicia poked her head out the side of the door, just barely to check. She didn’t see where the soldier had gone, but she saw that the rats outside had moved to a different spot, probably forced to since the soldier had a lantern. 

“Well, if we’re going to help, we better make it quick.” Arthur came out from under the bed, still crouched so no one would see his head from out the window. “Amicia, do you see anything that could help us evade the rats?” While she looked, he searched around the house for stuff he could use to aid in their escape. Time was clicking as all three of them knew that the soldiers would be back soon… Right now, they were probably savoring that stew that had been stolen. 

Amicia observed, squinting her eyes to do so.  Mélie  almost couldn’t believe the two but didn’t hesitate to help Amicia once her brother decided he would help. She pointed out an unlit torch tossed to the side underneath a cart not that far outside the house. Amicia perked up, gracious at the girl’s eagle vision. She slipped outside, keeping her eyes open before she laid down on her stomach, reaching under the cart. She gasped, pulling her hand back when she saw multiple rats hiding out under the car and felt their fur brush against her fingers. She pulled them back before they could bite her and wiped them against her shirt. With the light right outside, they were tucked away but didn’t hesitate to lunge at the flesh that stuck its hand under the cart.

Luckily, the girl was able to pull her hand out just in time and allowed her heart to calm down. She turned her head to  Mélie  in the door frame. “I have to move the cart to get it. There are rats under here.”

“Be careful, it might make some noise. It would be best if one of us did it.”

Amicia knew but nodded anyway. She looked everywhere that she could and stood up, carefully placing her hands on the cart, not trying to make any wrong moves. She hoped that it wouldn’t be too old and creaky. She took a few cautious steps backward, testing the theory.

Luckily it was. The cart moved freely and immediately without too much fussing, the rats followed before they could be caught under the light. Amicia shuddered and maneuvered around the cart, grabbing the torch before she nearly ran back into  Mélie ’s arms. The redhead caught her with a smile. “Nice job,” she said before she moved for her to come back inside.

“I have the torch, Arthur.”

“Good. Let’s see if it still lights.” He took it from Amicia’s hand and moved to the fireplace, sticking it under for a couple of seconds, and like a miracle was on their side, the end of it lit up. The three of them smiled at the sight of protective fire gleaming in their eyes. The warmth always felt welcoming during a cold and dangerous night. 

“Are we sure we want to do this?”  Mélie asked, a bit unsure of the decision they were about to make. Amicia nodded, so she had to agree. “Alrighty, then.”

There were voices outside. Arthur took the lead, silent as he walked. “Then we must go, and we must go quiet,” he whispered and rushed out the door, the girls following shortly and not that far behind. It didn’t take long for the soldiers to crowd the doorway once they were out, not on their trail luckily. Amicia looked back at them once before  Mélie pulled her arm, tugging her along. 

Tracking footsteps in the mud, he followed the steps carefully. He didn’t dare look back once, knowing that the girls would be close by and would know what to do if they saw the soldiers. They reached a place that looked like an abandoned garden with vines growing off the fences not too far off from the house. “This is where the tracks lead us,” Arthur whispered, stopping next to an entrance before he pressed against the fence. The two followed accordingly, Amicia behind Arthur and then  Mélie  behind her. 

“Can you see anything?” Amicia whispered. 

Arthur leaned over and peered into the entrance. He scanned the area: there were rats, and a bit of their nest forming along the edges of the fences… but he also saw more. There was a body that looked strapped of any flesh. It looked both fresh and old at the same time. There was not much flesh on the bones, giving it a skeleton look while also being covered in blood. Maybe it had been there for a few days. There were rats pouring in. Whatever crops that had been growing there were long gone, leaving it as a ghost town almost. His eyes followed what light he saw in the distance, but whatever it was coming from was hidden by long grass. “We have to get closer, but there are more rats. Follow me and keep up,” he said and walked, making sure to push the fire out so that the rats would stay away. Amicia and Meie stayed close,  Mélie  to her brother’s right and Amicia to his left—she clung to his side and instinctively, he placed his free arm around her. They would stay close together. 

Arthur approached the body, seeing the gruesome details up close. Had the girl mentioned her mother had gone missing…? Could this be her? Carefully stepping over her, he continued on without a word to the girls he was holding.

They came closer to the flames and when they were close enough, they stopped to see what it was. This time, Amicia was closer to the front. They saw the soldier and the girl. Amicia couldn’t believe her eyes at what she saw the soldier doing. The girl, barely conscious, was tied to a long stick that rose in the air with her face all bloodied and a little butchered up—probably beaten multiple times by the man. He was laughing at her, taunting almost. 

“Your poor mum’s dead, and you will be too,” he teased and reached up. Lifting the torch up, he set the top of it on fire. Quickly, it began to burn down. “This will teach you a forever lesson: don’t fuck with the Inquisition. Hopefully, the flames will reach you before the rats do,” he said to her before walking off—he did not even care enough to watch her burn. The fire was his flaming confidence, and he walked it out of the garden without regret that he had done such a thing to the girl. 


	2. A New Disgrace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denice meets the whole gang and even shows off her skills in the midst of pain. However, she finds out the truth about her mother's demise. Will she be able to fit in with the group of orphans she now associates with?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a lot of fun coming up with small ideas for this story. I'm really loving the character.

When Denice awoke, her head throbbed like a thousand knives stabbed her through the eyes. After the soldier had slapped her, she vaguely could remember anything, except in small flashes: one point she felt weightless as though she were being carried, and then she was placed down. Now, she felt that same weightlessness, and the air around her felt a lot clearer than where she was earlier. But why was there so little warmth, like her fireplace lacked a fire? Then, there was a soft blow against her forehead, like some sort of hot breath, but she could hardly open her eyes to see. Instead, she embraced the warmth and wrapped her arms around it welcoming. 

She heard a deep gruff before she passed out once again, hearing nothing. 

Arthur was carrying Denice in his arms. After the soldier had abandoned the girl for dead, he and his friends freed her: she was in the worse condition, and completely vulnerable to the world around her. It was decided by the trio that they would return to the Château with her and to hopefully avoid any more encounters along the way. At one point, the male had her dangling off his back as he kept her arms around his neck to keep low. Now, she was nestled underneath Arthur’s neck more calmly. 

“What’s she doing?” Amicia asked once she saw her move. 

Arthur ghosted her back with his hand with gentle pats. “Sleeping like a rock. Hopefully, she’ll stay that way until we return.”

Mélie huffed. She wasn’t completely opposed to taking the girl with them, even if she appeared to not approve of the guest. She was glad it was a girl at least. “Now we’ve got another mouth to feed,” she added, walking alongside her brother, “Are we sure we can handle that?”

“We have to,” Amicia responded, crossing her arms, “You saw what the soldiers did. They burned down the whole farm. She doesn’t exactly have a home to return to.” She looked along the path to the Château, remembering the heat of the fire almost burning along her face. The old wood of the home had burned so quickly and brightly that it nearly sent the rats back barreling back underground. 

“Then I don’t look forward to the extra trips out scavenging.” 

“Heh… Unless there is gold involved,” Amicia joked. 

Humored, Arthur inaudibly chuckled. “Only the shinest for you, Amicia. You know that Mélie would steal England’s best rubies just for you.”

“Heh…”

“Shut, it Arthur! Be glad that you’re holding the girl or I would have slapped you by now.”

“My bad, sister. I wouldn’t want to expose your darkest secrets.”

It was a long, quiet walk back to the Château d'Ombrage, greeted by a tired Rodric when they arrived. The dirty blacksmith’s son followed Arthur close behind, wanting to ask about the stranger in his arms but not quite getting the words out yet. He was quite surprised to see the tattered girl in a ripped green dress. She did not look so well. “Be careful when you enter the room. Hugo is asleep,” he warned his friends along the way.

“How is he?” Amicia

“Lucas says he is stable. He was missing you a lot, Amicia. By the way, who is she?”

“We don’t know,” Arthur responded and found a place where he could lay the girl once he entered the room everyone shared, placing her down carefully on his straw mattress with her head on his pillow. He observed her face and the lacerations that the soldier inflicted on her. He was sure that Amicia would have killed the soldier if they weren’t so crowded by rats that were ready to eat them. He left Denice there, knowing Amicia and Lucas would take care of her. Tonight, he would either sleep on the ground or share the mattress with either his sister or Rodric. He approached Rodric, crossing his arms as he retold the story. “Found her while on one of our runs, along with some Inquisition soldiers. They knocked her out pretty cold, tried to feed her to the rats, and burned her house down. Might need Lucas to give her something for the pain.”

Rodric’s face contorted. “How horrible. Well, she will be good in hands. With us.” He slapped Arthur’s back, nearly sending him tumbling forward. “We might want to relight some braziers before going to sleep—might rain by dawn if we’re unlucky.”

Arthur nodded. “Alright.” He followed the male out of the room, giving the girl a look before he left.

“What happened?” Lucas asked when his attention was brought to the girl by Amicia. He kneeled next to her.

Mélie crossed her arms. “A shit-show, that’s what. Soldier barged right into her house and back-handed her when she didn’t give him what he wanted. Then we had to rescue her from rats eating her alive when he tied her to a pole for not having enough food for them.” She shook her head, not favoring the images in her head. Then again, it was not as gruesome from what they all had seen.

Lucas cringed, shaking his head as well. “Hopefully her wounds will be easy to treat, with the right materials. After that, I say we give her some space to rest.” He coated her cheek with a wet cloth to wash the blood, being careful when she twitched in pain. They were quiet, Amicia and Mélie watching, and when he was done, they decided to part ways to try and catch a few more hours of sleep. Mélie would sleep near her brother’s mattress as always and Rodric near him; Lucas moved his bed closer to the stranger in case she needed more treatment, would be with her own brother, who slept through the entire return of his sister. 

“Do you think she will be fine?” Amicia whispered to Lucas as he was moving his straw mattress, removing her boots in the process. Mélie yawned and turned away from the two. She was no longer interested in the conversation since she was ready for bed.

“I think so. The beatings were bad, but I think she will survive. I can’t do much for her crooked nose, however. It might stay that way for good,” Lucas responded. Even if he was not a doctor, he had hovered over the stranger for what felt like hours. He ran a hand delicately over her nose, which had been broken at one point during the beatings, as he tried to feel for abnormalities. Barely responding, the unconscious girl twitched. She was an attractive girl around Mélie’s and Amicia’s age and stature. Her hair was dirty blonde, uneven and messy. She wasn’t the cleanest, but it was not like any of them were. “For now, we should let her calm and see how she’s feeling when she wakes up. I can stay awake for a while.”

Amicia nodded. She looked over to her sleeping brother and nearly yawned at the sight. Lucas smiled at her. “I think you should get some rest too. It sounds like you all had some fun out there.”

The tired girl looked at the male tenderly. She viewed him as her very own brother. “Thank you,” she said with her tired voice, Lucas nodding at her. She gave the two their space and wheeled away, returning to the others who were surrounding the straw mattresses. Both Rodric and Arthur were back from relighting the brasiers and preparing for sleep. Clearly, everyone was still awake, excluding Amicia’s brother. Smiling lovingly at Hugo’s small frame as he slept, she crawled next to him, careful not to wake him. She listened to the soft whispers of the others before she slipped off to sleep. The long night concluded. 

* * *

Dawn came quickly, but the three who returned late slept in. However, Denice awoke, gradually lifting her aching frame. For a moment, she was confused about where she was, looking around the crumbling walls of the Château… _what in the world?_ Wasn’t she just at home? Groaning softly, she pushed herself to her back. She reached up and felt her cheek, which had small bandages over a bump. Then she touched her nose, which was broken and sent a surge of pain when she stroked it. Steadily, the world was returning to her; she had been struck by the soldier she had been attempting to give food to… Then he— she shuddered, not wanting to remember any of it. Looking around, she saw the borders of others, recognizing them after squinting: seeing the familiar clothing and the red hair of one of the twins. Thinking about it, they were the people in her house. They must have saved her from the soldiers. That, or she was dead. 

Denice stood, quiet as she tried not to wake any of them. She wanted to stumble, but the odd movement caused pain. There was a smaller male with darker hair close by her. 

In the middle of the room, there was a dying fireplace with a kettle matching the one she had at home. Curiously, she stepped closer and peered down into it— empty. Her body rumbled, mostly in her stomach. She looked down at it, then at the others, thinking the sound of it would have woken them for a moment. She was relieved when none of them even winced. 

“Something you looking for?” a deep voice sounded, and she jumped. Did she think too soon? She whipped around, seeing one of them rise: the larger male with dark hair. He had a noticeable burn over one of his eyes. He looked a bit scary. 

“Um… No…” she responded, her voice extra quiet for the other ones in the room. She rubbed her arm uncomfortably.

“The name’s Rodric,” he said as he got up, grunting as he did so. He dusted himself off and came close. “The other’s saved you and brought you here. Do you remember any of that?”

Politely, she held her hand out to shake. “I’m Denice, and no… I just barely remember the things that happened before-hand.” She ran her hand over her cheek. “But, where did they bring me?”

“We call it the Château.” He waved his hand around, almost presenting it to her, “It’s where we come to hide from the Inquisition.”

Hearing the name, the girl went quiet. Distress crossed her face. 

Rodric noticed and scratched the back of his head. “Er, sorry… Say, you were looking in the cooker’s pot. Are you hungry?”

Denice looked at it. Maybe she was, even if just a little: she hadn’t eaten in a while. But this was their food, and not hers. Yet… the prospect of food sounded lovely. In fact, since the food hadn’t been started yet, she knew exactly what she could do. “A little,” she admitted honestly, “But you don’t have to get anything for me. In fact, I can cook, if that could just be a little payment back for saving me back there.”

An attentive expression crossed the male’s face. He rubbed his chin with his gloved hand and nodded. “I don’t see why not. Here, let me show you the supplies we have saved for the day. I’m sure there’s plenty for you to cook something out of.” He motioned for her to follow and carefully stepped over his friends to lead her to the back of the room. When they were a bit farther away, his tone picked up, “Are you our age?”

“How old are you?”

“We’re all young. I’m seventeen. Amicia is fifteen and her brother, Hugo, is five. The twins are sixteen.”

Denice had not seen a five-year-old. Then again, he was small, so who knew. “Then you’re all as young as am I… I just turned sixteen some time ago.” She nodded.

“Aye… Well, here’s the food,” he said as he showed her a crate of fresh food he had scavenged. “I hope that you can make good use of it. None of us are very good cooks. I know this is all sudden,” He scratched the back of his head, “But just know that all of us got your backs here. We’re all under the same roof with the Inquisition, and from the looks of it, they hurt you too. Lucas treated you and your nose. The Inquisition… they hurt most of us and killed both mine and Amicia’s parents.”

Hearing it said in such a way almost sounded worrisome, though she refused to show the male. She did not want any of them to know of her English blood, and what she was. What she was had hurt the others. “I appreciate it, Rodric. Thank you.” She nodded before turning to the crate of food. There wasn’t much food, but enough to make something simple but savory. She gathered what she thought would be good for a small breakfast and got to work. Along the line, Rodric brought in some fresh water and helped her fill the kettle for some stew. By then, the sun began to rise and a few stirred in their sleep; a different aroma was in the air, and it smelled very delightful: almost luring them out of their slumber.

Hugo stirred first, intrigued by the smell of food. He sat up, rubbing his eyes with his fists. He looked to his side, comforted at the sight of his sister safe and sound. He did not think too much of her long absence. “Amicia! Wake up, something smells good,” he said excitedly and shook his sister. Amicia aroused, but it took her a few minutes to get up, even with her brother basically bouncing on her side. When she did, she yawned and stretched her arms above her head. She had hoped that she would have rested for a few more hours, but when Hugo was up, she had to be up.

Her nose couldn’t believe it. “What’s that smell?” she asked, lifting her head. At the pot in the middle of the room, stood the girl with the familiar green dress. She stirred the kettle and filled a few bowls, setting them off to the side as she did so. That was the girl! Was she cooking for them? She blinked, a bit surprised.

Hugo tugged her sleeve. “Amicia, who is that?”

Amicia patted her brother’s hand. “No worries, Hugo. She’s nice. We brought her here last night when we returned.”

“Can I go say hi to her?”

“Of course.” She smiled.

Hearing the other voices, Denice raised her head and bashfully met Amicia’s eyes. She cracked a smile, even if just the most insignificant. She placed the ladle in the pot and gathered two bowls. She approached the De Rune siblings and kneeled to meet them at eye-level. “Good morning,” she said softly before extending the bowls, “Careful, they’re a bit warm. They’ll warm you right up. A personal thank you for saving me last night.”

Amicia’s eyes nearly bulged when she saw the food, let alone at how satisfying it smelled. “It’s our pleasure. Say thank you, Hugo,” she said while taking the bowls, checking the temperature before handing it to her brother.

Hugo flashed Denice a smile that warmed her heart. “Thank you, kind lady!”

“My name is Denice. You’re Amicia, right? And Hugo?” She pointed to each of them as she said their names.

Amicia nodded. “Yes… He is my brother.”

“So I’m told.”

“It’s nice to meet you too,” she told Hugo with a smile. He was a small cutie. She shook his hand, adoring how small his hand felt. 

“You’re very kind for making us breakfast!” he said, a bit loudly.

“Hugo, keep your voice down. The others are still asleep.”

“Oh…”

“Hey…” a feminine voice echoed through the room, forcing the trio to look to the figures that were still tucked away on their makeshift cots. 

“I guess it is too late then… The others are awake now.” Amicia laughed.

“Ugh, just barely… So, shut it,” Mélie threatened, half asleep. Both she and her brother rallied in their sleep. The last one awake—Lucas, did the same. Mélie yawned and stretched, placing her left hand on her right shoulder to roll her arm then did the same for the other one. She looked to her brother before kicking him in the shin. “Get up, you lazy shit.” She teased before standing. 

Groaning from both pain and sleep deprivation, Arthur did as he was told. Amicia stood and crossed the room, handing the bowl that Denice had given her to Mélie, smiling. “Eat up. I have a good feeling that breakfast is going to be extra flavorful this morning.” Mélie took the bowl and looked down at its contents with a raised eyebrow. The expression was cute to Amicia. 

“What is it?”

“I have yet to get a bowl myself, but it looks good. Denice made it.”

“It’s delicious!” Hugo cried from across the room. He shoveled the food into his mouth like it was his last meal, making a mess of his face.

Denice smiled to herself. “Please, then eat up. It’s the least that I can do.” Speaking up, she caught the attention of the others. She turned away and grabbed her own bowl, deciding to leave the room to focus on it. She did not like so much attention.

“Wow, did she actually cook for us? Strange,” Arthur commented before he stood and took a bowl, handing it to Amicia before he poured one for Lucas then himself. Lucas was fixing his bed-head before he directed to the others sleepily.

“And it’s pretty damn good,” Mélie chirped before she tilted the bowl up to her lips, slurping the flavorful soupy breakfast. Then she ran the back of her hand across her messy lips. “Try it, Arthur.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” he said before downing the soup in seconds, not bothering to use a spoon. He marveled at the flavor, smiling to himself. 

“I’d have to say: this has been the best thing that I have eaten in a while.” Lucas smiled, the food almost waking him up from yesterday’s long night. He took Arthur’s and Mélie’s bowl, taking the responsibility to clean them this morning. 

“Yeah… Maybe it was good that we brought her along,” Mélie added.

“And not just to save an innocent girl’s life?” Amicia commented, raising a brow.

“I—”

“Amicia, can I have some more?” Hugo asked, raising his bowl to his sister. 

“Let’s see.” Amicia took his bowl and walked to the pot, looking down at it. There was enough for a few more servings, and her brother was sick… The soup could make him feel better. She knew the others would not mind if the young boy got an extra serving before the others. “You can have a little more.” She refilled it.

“Thank you, Amicia,” Hugo said as he took the bowl in his hand. She ran her hand down his head as he ate.

Shortly, Rodric entered and ran a hand over his sweaty forehead; in his other hand, he held Denice’s empty bowl. He had just returned from his patrol. “Whew. Exhausting morning, but I was refreshed with some soup.” He lifted the bowl up in some sort of victorious moment; Denice had let him sneak a few bites of her food before he returned, and now he was pretty excited to grab his own bowl. 

“Finally, some good fucking food,” Mélie cheered and threw her hands in the air. 

“But another mouth to feed,” Arthur responded, “What are we going to do with her?”

“We’re going to take care of her, of course,” Amicia answered, seated on the ground. “The Inquisition attacked her. She’s one of us now, and we all have to stick together.”

“I’m sure we can find somewhere that she can pull some more weight. Albeit scavenging with us once in a while,” Rodric added. 

Before the conversation could continue, Denice stepped into the room. Everyone looked at her. She pulled a shawl Rodric had given her on her shoulders closer together nervously. Growing up, she had not been around kids her age. She wasn’t used to seeing so many in a room. “Um… Hello.” She stepped forward, scrutinizing everyone for their reactions. She wished they weren’t looking at her so intently. “I want to say thank you for saving me back there.” There was a bit awkwardness to her tone.

“It was nice of you to let us in,” Amicia responded first, “It was the least we could do. For all we know, we were there at that moment to save you. I can’t believe he was going to leave you out for the rats…”

“Why were you helping them?” Mélie asked, casually wrapping her arms around her knees. 

It was time for storytime.

Denice hesitated and dropped her head, almost ashamed. “I… My mother and I didn’t have too much of a choice. We were forced to help the soldiers. But our supplies were running low. As you can tell, he wasn’t very happy that I didn’t have everything… But everything’s been so hard to do with mom gone—”

“What… Happened to her?” Amicia hesitated on the sensitive topic, knowing her own loss was still fresh on her mind. 

“I don’t know. She left to tend to the garden one night and didn’t return. I wasn’t supposed to leave the house with all the fighting going on, so I stayed. But she didn’t return. I figure she went to town without telling me and got stuck.” And truly, that’s what the girl believed. 

Guilt plagued the mind of the three who had been there. Putting two and two together, they knew what had happened, and knew that they needed to tell the poor girl so she could properly mourn her loss. But at least she would be spared from seeing the body that had been reduced to nothing but bones at this point. Should they tell her? Who should? Exchanging glances, it seemed like the other two knew exactly what the others were thinking. 

“Denice.” Amicia stepped closer, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder in a comforting way. She pulled her close. “I don’t think she got stuck in town.”

“What do you mean?”

“When we followed the soldier, he took you to a garden. We saw a body there… We think it could have been your mother.”

Denice felt shocked and looked at Amicia, unbelieving. “What?” she asked, her jaw dropped. She closed it, then opened it again. “She’s _dead_?”

“We think...”

Understanding, Denice lowered her head. Now, the food was not settling so well with her stomach. She presumed the worst for her lost mother, but to actually hear it… her heart was breaking. “O...Okay…” she nodded and lowered her head, holding her chest with her hands. “Thank you for telling me… but I need to be alone… I’m going to take a walk and clear my mind if you don’t mind.”

“Of course…” Amicia nodded. 

Turning away on her heel, she rushed out of the room before the others would see her tears. Her mother was dead. This was the first time she had people interaction since her mother had been gone, but now she felt the loneliest. 

The others remained silent, unknowing what to say. They understood… They all had no parents; they could have something to say, but there was nothing to say to a person in mourning. 

Sweets would have made Denice feel better, but it had been years since she had one; what was once a normal thing for her was now a delicacy her mother only made once in a while. Now that delicacy would be nothing because now she is gone and Denice would never have her back or hold her anymore. For a moment, she wondered how the other’s were reacting to her walk-out— her emotions. Outside, she did not know where she was going particularly. The castle was different and the outside was cold, so she stood in one spot and closed her eyes; her pumping heart squeezed tears out of her eyes. Maybe she was being silly. Who knew. She had never lost a person before. 

A new thought came to her, and it was one that plagued her the most: what was her father going to say, knowing that his beloved was dead? Would he come home to the ruins of his home and mourn as she did? Would she ever get to see him again?


	3. Recovered, but at what cost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Denice realizes that she is closer with the group of orphans after she is attacked by someone in the woods.

The Château was the perfect hideout for everyone, and everyone had their own role around. The only time that no one liked the way the castle functioned was when it rained. The rain would seep through the walls and cause their small living quarters to leak, especially on the pouring nights. Rodric said that he would fix it one day, and today was that day that he would do so with Hugo, who handed him the tools when requested. Denice watched them silently for a few, but she truly needed a better distraction. Otherwise, the girl swore that she would fall apart worse than these walls. 

Luckily, the girls offered to take her on one of their trips down to the river. Mélie had warmed up nicely to the third girl that joined their family. 

A bit of girl time was something she probably needed, where her womanly emotions would not feel like such a burden on the others. She learned to trust the others over the course of weeks. Not just with the girls, but the boys too. All were entertaining and were there when she needed them. It felt weird to her, but she welcomed the new feeling. She could tell they were all close—like some family—and she noticed how close Amicia and  Mélie  were. Maybe she could make them an official trio of feminine power. 

“Don’t think I’ve been fishing before,” she told the girls candidly and followed close behind, but nearly beside them. “I’ve cooked it, but not fished for it myself. Is it fun?”

“It’s fun once you get the hang of it!”  Mélie  responded, excitingly. This was the first trip out with Denice but her third fishing with Amicia. “Some might call it men’s sport, but it’s quite fun, actually. And you can catch some pretty damn good food if you’re lucky enough. Right, Amicia?”

Amicia nodded. “ Mélie taught me how to fish too. I was in the same position as you before I met her.”

Mélie  winked. “Maybe you both can pay me back later for the lessons then if you’re so keen on them.”

Amicia rolled her eyes. ‘Don’t listen to her. She always wants to be paid back for something.”

“Damn right.”

They walked down a small path that luckily wasn’t too muddy from the previous night’s rain. There was still a bit of cold in the air as though it would still rain, but it still felt like the right temperature right in between. Not too hot, nor cold. Enough that you didn’t have to layer up clothing, but if you did, it would not matter. Mostly, it was the wind that rattled the multi-colored leaves in the trees that was on either side of the path. Denice was enjoying the time out, and the clear air seemed to heal her soul and cleanse her body from any bad thoughts. She hadn’t thought of her mother for a while when she went out with the girls.

“How often do the boys come fishing?”

“Not too often. Arthur hates it, and Rodric and Lucas are always busy sticking their noses in their work,”  Mélie  answered, pushing up some branches that pushed out into the narrow path, allowing for both Denice and Amicia to walk by before she took the rear. “It’s always a luxury to get away from male energy.”

“Does your brother like fishing?” Denice asked Amicia.

“He hasn’t gone, though he is excited to one day. I hope to teach him like how Mélie taught me. When he feels better one day.”

Hugo’s brother was sick. Denice did not know what he was sick with, but she knew that he had to stay near Lucas in case something were to happen.

The walk continued on for a little while. Denice had never walked a long distance. It gave her a feeling she had not felt when she was cramped up back at home: the Château was still somewhat cramped for her, but at least when she felt trapped, she could walk outside. There was no window she would be forced to look out of when she was feeling lonely. It was only getting better since her injuries had healed over the weeks. Her bruises had gone away, and the only trace of the attack was her slightly crooked nose, that probably would not be able to be put back in place. 

“Hey, Denice.”

“Yeah, Mélie?”

“Do you like my brother?”

The question caught the girl off guard. What in the world? 

Denice’s cheeks flared; she ran long fingernails over them as if it would hide them.  Mélie  caught up with her pace and walked beside her, grinning at the girl’s silent response to her teasing. With a smug grin, she poked Denice’s cheek before she crossed her arms. “Oh, so you do, like him? Are you in-love with him? I’ve seen you two fishing for each other’s hearts.”

Denice did not want to answer the question or even think about it. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at Mélie, resembling a pouting child through the twin’s eyes. “I would never like your brother. Besides, I’m not… ready for liking anyone.”

“Sure you are.”

“I am!”

“I bet you like Rodric then—”

Mélie shook her head. “Nope.”

“Uh-uh… We both know that it’s either him or Lucas. But Lucas? I don’t think so.”

Mélie laughed, catching the attention of the third girl, who was farther ahead. Amicia curiously gazed at both the girls. “What are you two talking about?”

“Nothing! Mélie is just being mean again!”

“Are you being a bad girl, Mélie?”

“Always—”

The trio paused. 

Both  Mélie  and Amicia exchanged glances before an odd silence filled the air. The two stared for a prolonged moment amidst the walking but eventually looked away and proceeded. Denice took it as a sign that neither of the girls had any crushes at the moment, but it was all confusing. Man, was she now embarrassed. And thinking of Arthur.  _ Go away, thoughts! _ Coughing awkwardly,  Mélie  adjusted the fishing pole on her shoulder and ran on ahead, coming off the path to meet where the road diverged to the left and to the right. She turned back to the girls and waved for them to follow her to the right, where the stream would be.

Soon the conversation became just a memory. 

Amicia smiled at Denice. “You’re going to love this,” she reassured her before he rushed ahead, catching up to  Mélie . Denice followed suit, smiling to herself. Maybe Amicia was right. Mayhap losing her mother wasn’t the worst that could have happened; now she had friends that seemed like they actually cared for her wellbeing. 

The trio reached the stream and set up their spot for the rest of the day. 

“I’m going to catch the largest fish,” Mélie commented with a cocky grin that was wider than her brother’s when he was up against Rodric.

“I’m sure you will, Mélie. They just like you!”

Amicia adjusted her sling to be ready to pull out any moment; through the time she had spent out there, never once did they run into some soldiers… but better safe than sorry. Denice had not seen her kill a man before, but judging by the stories the others told, it was a marvelous sight to see. The young noble placed down the basket of bait— some bread that had gone stale and cheese that no one seemed to be touching. She took the spot beside  Mélie and used cheese to bait her pole . Denice was on Mélie’s other side, in case  the redhead  needed to help her with something. The former thief had a knack for helping others when it came to this sport. She clearly enjoyed the wholesomeness it gave her, as Amicia could tell by her giddy expression. 

Amicia could not help but smile to herself at the scene—  Mélie  carefully explaining to Denice how to toss the line (and reminding her to not hook anyone), and kept her posture. It reminded the young D\de Rune daughter of the day she taught her—  Mélie  looked exactly the same.  _ Happy _ . 

“Make sure that you check your bait from time to time. Slowly, you want to reel your line in, so your bait looks alive. Got it?” 

“I think so.”

Amicia’s pole tugged only a couple of minutes later.  Mélie  turned away from Denice and toward her with large eyes, “Amicia, you got one!” she pointed out with a wide grin. She waved to her. “C’mon, reel it in and let’s see how big it is!” 

Embarrassed that she had been so side-tracked, Amicia quickly reeled in her catch. It was a mediocre-sized trout, yet it still was appealing and delectable. The noble became distracted immediately and tended to her catch. 

“Looks like we’re having fish tonight!”  Mélie  cheered, “Wrap it up and put it in the basket.” She slapped Amicia on the shoulder before she cast out her own line. Amicia’s heart was racing—the feelings returning—as she wrapped the fish in a rag and placed it carefully in the basket next to the stale bread. Then she proceeded fishing. 

An ample amount of time passed before there was another catch. 

“What kinds of fish are in this river?” Denice asked, patiently watching her rod, “My older brother used to come down here all the time, though I think he cooked and ate the fish even before he returned home. He didn’t catch much.”

“Trout, for sure,”  Mélie  answered, sounding almost all-knowing and smug, “Maybe Cod too. I can’t know for sure. It’s a nice place… Hardly any rats or damn soldiers come by here.”

“That’s good.”

The rats… Denice had almost forgotten about them; it was not pleasant to see them for the first time. When she had passed mourning, Amicia and Arthur showed her the rats they had been talking about prior and taught her everything she needed to know about the pits and what they did to trap the rats in one place. The girl had not seen them herself until then… The swarms… They were just awful to look at. Disgusting, even. Knowing what they could do made it worse, seeing as it was the way that her mother had died. She wondered what it would have been like: if her mother had suffered or not. She hoped the death was as painless as possible. Even if her mother was not the best, she hoped she did not scream her lungs out before her death. That she did not feel the bites all around her. She wondered if that was the reason her mother had kept her shut away from the outside. Maybe it was good that she had done so. 

But now things were different.

“I’m guessing you don’t know how to scale them then cut them, too, eh?”  Mélie  asked. 

Denice shook her head, then nodded. “I do, actually, but we haven’t had fish for a while. I might be a little rusty,” she admitted, eyes locked on the unmoving water. 

“Good. None of the others are good at it. It would be nice to spare a good chunk of the meat.”

After a few minutes, she doubted that she would actually catch something. Amicia had caught one right off the bat… she wondered if they used the same bait or if there was something wrong she was doing. Mélie wasn’t scolding her, so maybe not. 

Then, gradually, they began to reel in some fish. 

After a while, Mélie began to whistle. Whistling eventually turned into bird noises that the other girls would eventually laugh at. She was pretty good at it. Through the three of them, they caught about seven fish before deciding that it was enough for the night. They needed to return before it became too dark. “Keep fishing and we’re going to run the bleedin’ river dry.” Mélie laughed and placed her wrapped fish up with the others. She took the bad bait and tossed it out in the river since it would not last another day. “Nice job, Denice!”

“I wouldn’t say that two fish is an accomplishment.” The young girl chuckled and secured her pole the way Mélie had shown her. 

“They were still enormous!” Amicia made sure she pointed it out, her own pole ready. “Arthur will be impressed…” She wiggled her eyebrows, deciding that she would join Mélie in on the teasing. So she  _ had  _ heard them earlier. And seeing Denice’s cheeks grew redder than an apple only fueled her to continue. “Maybe if you give him the biggest one, he’ll kiss you.”

“Ew, gross!” Mélie stuck her tongue out, not happy at the sound of her own brother kissing a girl. “Besides, I want that fish.”

“Whatever—” Flushing, Denice tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, eyes rolling as well. “—I have to go pee guys. Can you hold up for a moment?”

Mélie winked at her, causing Denice to scowl at her. “Sure. There’s some brush up ahead.”

Huffing, Denice told her a thank you before she lifted her dress as she rushed to get as far away as she could from the others. The embarrassment was too much. Why did they suddenly choose to tease her so much about a boy? Denice enjoyed his company, and that was what she liked… Hopefully. There was not much time at the moment to think of love, especially to a thief. Nothing against him, however.

Finding a private place, she released a nervous breath; she was about to drop her drawers when she heard a twig crack not that far away. Her heart raced, and she frowned. What did the girls want more with her? Possibly tease her to death even more.

“Not funny, Mélie! Go away,” she huffed. 

A sudden unfamiliar voice spoke right next to her ear, hot breath trickling down her neck, “My name’s not Mélie… And I am certainly not going away.” Hands crept around her waist, yet her body only jerked the last second. 

Denice yelped and bounced out of the arms of rough, calloused hands. She spun around; there was a creepy male with a red and sickish face. His entire appearance was disheveled, black hair greasy and sticking to his face. His tunic was untucked from his belt. Her heart dropped at the sudden realization that she no longer was safe. 

“Go away, or I will scre—” Stepping backward, Denice yelped once again as she tripped over a chunky root of a tree she had not seen in the bushes. Tears stinging her eyes, she continued to move backward, trying to get away from the rapidly approaching male; he pulled a knife out from his boot, and she knew that her fate was sealed. He would kill her with that knife.

“No, please—” She begged for mercy and lifted her hand, shielding her eyes. She did not want to watch her own demise unfold. 

The man laughed. “Just the way I like them. I hope you’re a squealer then, whore. I like ‘em when they scream like the little pigs they are.” 

Denice’s fingers felt around the ground. Desperation made her feel like she would find something to save her from what was about to happen. Something sharp pricked her. Any normal reaction would have told her to scream out in pain, but there was something else inside her that told her to grab the object instead. Just as the man pounced at her like a hungry wolf, she brought her other hand up with the object. She didn’t notice what it was right away, but whatever it was, it was sharp and tore right through the skin of the man’s neck; slicing right through his jugular. The man hardly could pipe out anymore insults as blood poured from the wound and from his mouth, gushing down on Denice’s face, hair, and chest. It was an abrupt bloodbath, and she tasted its metallic fiasco. The man dropped the knife and slumped forward more. 

His entire weight crushed the object and snapped it in two, forcing the man to lay on top of the poor, shaking and crying, girl. Lifting the splintering object in her hand, she noticed that the weapon that had just saved her life was the butt of an arrow. Denice was still in shock… but it did not take time for her to start crying loudly; she could hardly breathe under the man and struggled to shove the man off her body. Something trickled down her leg. “ _ Help _ ! Help me!”

Both Mélie and Amicia heard the cries and gasped. Dropping whatever they had, they chased the sound of their friend’s cries. “Denice!” 

“Where is she?”

“This way!”

The two other girls ran to the scene of the crime, following her constant screams for help. They found her not too far off the road and rushed to her aid, gasping when they saw the bloody mess that was the man on top of her. 

“What the hell?” Mélie hissed in anger.

“Get him off, please…” Denice begged, her face snotty. “He tried to kill me. Please get him off.” She hit the dead man’s head with the palm of her hand repeatedly as if it would help.

Without hesitation, the two girls grabbed at the man’s forearms and dragged him off with laborious grunts. With him off, Mélie kicked his side and nearly stomped the broken arrowhead deeper into his throat. “Bastard!” she hissed. Meanwhile, Amicia rushed to aid Denice. “I can’t believe he fucking did anything, the  _ bastard _ .”

“I’ve got her.”

Amicia stopped, examining the girl’s body for harm. She saw the blood and a… wetness near Denice’s area. Her little heart broke as she grabbed Denice and carefully helped her to her feet. “Mélie,” she said to her friend, who was angrily snapping at the corpse, “I’m going to get her to the river to wash off. Then we’re heading back right away.” Not waiting for Mélie, Amicia rushed to get her friend back to the river to clean off. She was shaking like poor Lion would do when he was a scared pup before he became a strong hunting dog. It made her want to punch a rock. 

Once Denice was at the river, Amicia placed her hands comfortably on her back. “Can you remove the dress?” she asked carefully as she did not want to freak her out further, knowing that something traumatic just happened. Denice nodded, sniffling, and allowed Amicia to help her to remove her outfit. She covered her chest and sat down in the water. The water was numbing and unwelcoming as if it was worst than the hands that held her not that long ago. Amicia dropped to her knees and frantically scrubbed the dress underneath the water. By then, Mélie rushed over and watched over the two protectively. 

“I hid the bastard’s body. Hopefully, the rats will eat him by nightfall. Denice, are you alright?”

The traumatized girl hesitated to answer. “Yeah, I’m… Just a bit shook up at the moment. I… I killed him before he could hurt me.” A sudden realization hit her and she covered her mouth remorsefully. “I… Oh God’s, I killed him.”

“For the greater good,” Mélie added, “He could have killed you.”

“Mélie! Don’t be so insensitive… Killing someone…” Amicia stopped, looking down at her hands scrubbing the dress. She had done a lot to protect her brother, and it was never a good feeling on the inside “—Is not a good feeling, whether the person was bad or not. It forever changes you.”

Mélie lowered her head, quiet. She did not have a say in on this. She waited for the two, and when they were ready, she helped Denice to her feet. She took the dress from Amicia and rang the water out of it as much as she could. “We’ll get you some dry clothes when we return to the Château. And don’t worry about the fish. We’ll scale them for you tonight.” Amicia took the dress out of the water. Mélie took it and handed the dress over and waited for her to gradually get clothed. There was still a big red mark faded across her chest, and Denice still felt uncomfortably wet.

Denice looked down at her dress disappointingly. 

“I’m sorry,” Amicia apologized, “I couldn’t get all the blood out of the dress.”

“It’s fine…” the blonde still sulked. She hugged herself. 

“We can steal her another for her on our next run. C’mon, let’s go before we discover that he had some friends waiting around for backup.” She snatched at the basket and poles then rushed on ahead, prepared to lead them through a more secretive path if she had to in order to protect her friends. 

“I can’t believe that happened…” Denice lowered her head, ashamed, but Amicia quickly shushed her. 

“There is nothing wrong that you did. We are here for you, Denice. Come on, this way.” the De Rune girl reassured her and wrapped her arm around her, despite the wetness from the river. Then, the three of them rushed all the way back to the Château. Keeping close by, Mélie acted as the bird, but it seemed that they were alone. That man must have been preying on helpless women by himself. The rest of the way back was a breeze. Mélie picked up a rock and chucked it at the castle wall to quickly attract someone’s attention. Shortly, she saw her brother poke his head over the castle wall. 

Mélie cupped her mouth. “Let us in now, Arthur!”

“Got it!” The redhead disappeared before Mélie allowed her arms to drop at her sides.

“Slow oaf,” she scoffed and turned back to Denice, messing around with the dead fish in the basket. “I can… Cook tonight, if you’d wish.”

Denice hardly had spoken on the way back. It was a bit concerning seeing as the other girl had finally broken out of her moping spell only to fall into another. 

“No… It is fine. You can help if you wish, but I am well enough to cook tonight.” She shook her head, hardly making any eye contact with the others. She did not need to. As soon, Arthur had opened the entrance for them; they rushed inside, Arthur’s eyebrow raised at their hurried behavior. 

“Did something happen?” he questioned, sensing something was off instantly. 

“Arthur, not now,” his sister retorted and rushed to one of the back rooms to drop the basket of fish off and to search around for spare clothing.

“Amicia!” Excitingly, Hugo jumped to his feet and ran to his sister, slamming into her and Denice for a tight hug. It did not last long as he pulled away and looked up to his sister and the other girl with a confused expression. “Why are you wet?” he asked Denice.

“I…” she hesitated, sideway glancing at the noble.

“She fell into the river, Hugo.” Amicia pet the back of her brother’s head, his hair soft but a little dirty and in need of a bath. “Maybe we should have taken you with us so we could throw you in as well.”

“Ew, no!” 

Hugo was about to question the red stain that was splotched across her chest. Mélie hurried over with an armful of clothes. Arthur wanted to say something, but found nothing to say and stared at the three. 

“And I have some clean clothes. Now you boys leave while she gets changed.” After Denice took the clothes, Mélie pushed past her brother and approached Denice; she turned and waved her hand at Arthur, “Go on. Go. And Tell Lucas and Rodric to not come in for another ten minutes.”

Arthur sighed. “Of course, sis.” He turned away on the ball of his heel, walking out. When the older boy had ventured out of the room, the girls did not mind having Hugo in the room while they changed— he was far too young to understand anything at the moment. Prying herself off of Amicia, Denice slowly stripped the wet dress off her body, hating how it clung to her skin and made her insides feel gross. Feeling the texture glide over her skin, she saw the flashbacks retrace themselves in the crevices of her mind, haunting her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to forget it for the time being as she stripped down bare for the second time. Mélie handed her the article of clothing one by one, starting with her undergarments and pants, where she felt the most vulnerable. The clothes were different from what she would normally wear; brown pants with a worn-down purple tunic Mélie had picked up for herself one day. It fit perfectly. 

“Thank you—” she said to the girls in a shaky tone. “They fit nice.”

“Of course, Denice… We are here for you.” Amicia hugged her tight, placing her forehead against hers. They remained that way until Denice pulled away first. Mélie patted her shoulder reassuringly.

“I need a walk to clear my mind. If you could prepare the fish, I would appreciate it,” she asked them, changing her mind from earlier. She often took walks when she needed time alone. The Château was the perfect place she felt as the scenery almost lifted the negative thoughts that were on her mind. Not waiting for them to respond, she left.

“What happened, Amicia?”

“Not now, Hugo…”

“Can I help you cook the fish?”

“Of course. Do you want to learn how to cut it—?” 

Alone, Denice stepped outside and took a deep breath. She took the same route as per usual, walking through the abandoned halls. Naturally, she would have stopped to pick up a few rocks to help clean up, but now she was not in a good headspace, and her body was still shaking from the experience she had just battled. Of course, she was still somewhat petrified. There was no doubt about it.

Throughout the walk, Denice did not realize where she had been walking. She had been very distracted. In fact, she did not hear Arthur calling out for her several times. Then abruptly, her heart somersaulted as she slipped over the edge of the ground outside the Château. She gasped, expecting to hit the ground hard, but instead, she landed in the arms of Arthur, who buckled and collapsed underneath her yet still held her tight in both his arms.

“Are you crazy?” he asked, a bit breathless, “You could have walked right into the pit.”

Denice looked around. Both her and Arthur were a couple of feet away from the pit where the rats climbed through when it was dark enough. Her heart leaped again and she hugged him around the neck tightly as she remembered how desperate the flesh-eating creatures would be in the midst of the night. “I wasn’t paying attention,” she said, her cheek pressed up against the males. Had she fallen in, no one would have probably saved her before the rats ventured out. “I’m so sorry, Arthur… But thank you for catching me.”

“Just watch where you’re going next time. I won’t always be there to catch you,” he threatened but in a softer tone. The redhead gave her back a few pats before he wrapped one arm around her, using the other to push them off the ground. He was a small and scrawny man compared to Rodric, who would have lifted her (and has) with no problem, but still had amazing upper body strength. He had them to their feet in no time. “Hey, are you alright? You looked pale back there.”

Denice pulled away and immediately struggled to find the words… She gestured a few times with her hands to try and help the words to come out, but they didn’t. Arthur placed his hands on hers to stop her. “It is fine not to tell me right now. I understand if something happened and you wish to not talk about it.”

“Maybe… It’s best if you asked Amicia or your sister. It’s hard for me to speak about it right now.”

Arthur nodded then looked down at his feet. “Maybe I’ll ask Mélie then.” Slowly, he lifted his arm for her. “May I walk you back for dinner?” he asked with a soft smile. It was obvious he was trying to cheer her up. Her heart felt like it was fixing itself by seeing his smile. She nodded and wrapped both hands around his small bicep and followed him to the ladder. Of course, the group did not fail to lift her mood; albeit Rodric teasing Arthur or the girl’s out time together. In fact, she felt happier. She truly did. 

* * * 

Rain poured down in the Château, which meant extra work in the morning as the crumbling ceiling was leaking. 

“It’s almost like the Château is crying, Amicia,” Hugo pointed out to his sister with his finger. 

Amicia barely lifted her head from her work. “Mhm,” his sister hummed happily, carrying an armful of wooden buckets that Rodric had made over the past few days. All of them would have to be used in order to keep the rain in somewhat control. She handed Hugo one of the buckets and pointed to the ground. “Hugo, can you place one there?” she asked, allowing him to do some of the work.

Excitingly, Hugo grabbed the bucket and shoved the full bucket of water aside and placed the empty bucket in place of it. Accomplished, he jumped. “Haha, this is fun, Amicia! Let’s go get another bucket.” The boy seemed to have in everything, even with simple chores. Amicia loved it since she had a little helper to ease the workflow.

Walking by, Rodric gathered the full bucket of water. “You got it, mate!” he cheered on the young boy, “We’re going to have a lot of good drinking water for a while now. Nice job, Hugo.”

“Thanks, Rodric!”

From the corner of the room from cleaning the floor not exposed from the rain, Denice smiled at the others. They worked strongly with each other… Strange how that could happen with people. Approaching, she placed her hand on Amicia’s shoulder, turning so the girl looked to her. 

“Denice, hello!”

“Hi, Amicia— Is Hugo enjoying the weather?” Denice asked and leaned over, ruffling his brown hair. 

“I am!” Hugo bounced. 

“Hugo, how about you go see if Rodric needs help with the water?”

“Okay!” He ran out of the room. 

Denice smiled at the girl. “You all seem like a close family.”

“Of course! I would say that we are close,” the girl responded. She read the girl’s face. “Have you had a close family like this?”

Denice shook her head. “No. It was always just my mother and me… My father… was not close to us and was gone often. And now—” she hesitated and was careful not to reveal too much, “He is fighting in the war.” Which wasn’t a lie, exactly. “I don’t miss him at all. But you guys— I think I would miss you all if I lost you all.”

“You won’t ever lose us.” The happy noble placed her hand on her shoulder, and for once Denice felt reassured about everything. 


End file.
